Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche (currently based in New York City) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry tomorrow (April 25th), touring in support of his eighth studio album Pleasure (PLZ label).
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With just four days before it was supposed to start—The ‘Pleasure’ was almost over before it began—

After an almost fifty-date tour of Norway, singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche was poised to bring his show over to North America, only to find out that visa petitions for his keyboardist and bassist had been declined, some five months after their initial filing.

But, thanks to the quick last-minute thinking of drummer Dave Heilman (Jupiter One), the duo of Jordan Brooks and Alan Markley were swiftly brought on board to learn the songs in mere days, so the tour could successfully continue, including a recent stop at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

In mathematics, a Dedekind Cut (named after Richard Dedekind) is a partition of the rational numbers into two non-empty sets A and B; in music, it’s the alias of New York-based experimental artist Fred Welton Warmsley III, who began the evening under a single dim green mini-spotlight, casually taking to the stage and quietly seating behind his consoles to begin his instrumental set.

After working with hip hop group Pro Era, Warmsley released his debut studio album, $uccessor (NON Worldwide Records) last November, a dark meld of breakcore, ambient, noise, drone and other sounds.

Warmsley sat unassuming in near darkness the whole time, in a plaid shirt never speaking with head down concentrating on creating his sound, for the duration of the set. The result was something highly cinematic, the beats of a Run Lola Run, the dark electro of Tron, and ambiance of Eno’s work that cried out for a visual accompaniment of some kind.

The ‘Pleasure’ then began as Sondre Lerche and band strode out for their ninety-minute headlining set in support of Lerche’s latest, Pleasure (PLZ Records) released in March, and beginning with the new album’s opening track, ‘Soft Feelings’.

The Bergen, Norway native turned Brooklyn resident was ready to get the house dancing, inviting everyone to cut loose as he introduced ‘Legends’, with its rapid and throbbing backbeat. After previous release, Please, found the whimsical Lerche somewhat melancholy (the result of a divorce), the new album and tour confirm he’s in better spirits and determined to create a dance party at every one of his shows.

“You’ll appreciate this…when it’s over”, he said introducing the new ‘I Know Something That's Gonna Break Your Heart’ explaining it’s necessary to explore “the more unpleasant corners of the human psyche, in order to feel the contrast of what is what”, following that with the very early ‘No One’s Gonna Come’ from 2001.

“Do you guys slow jam in Minneapolis?” Lerche asked, already knowing the answer and alluding to Prince’s mastery of the form, before playing a turned inside-out, torch song-style version of 2006’s ‘Minor Detail’, with Lerche explaining he didn’t know how to sing the song correctly, when first recorded.

Lerche was left solo with guitar for the new ‘I’m Always Watching You’, a song that could easily be a companion piece to The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’, singing most of the song off-mike to the front of the hushed crowd.

The new ‘Violent Game’ stretched out to over seven minutes, starting charmingly with guitar riffs then building and ending with a high volume sonic cacophony before dialing it back down for ‘Reminisce’ , looking back in sadness with its lyric, “Are you dancing without me, dancing with tears in your eyes to this old song”.

After that emotive song, Lerche promised “all pleasure from here on out, it’s all up hill”, determined to change the mood back into the joyous dance party.

The upbeat ‘Despite the Night’ and its “I don’t wanna go home” chorus was bumpered by main set closer, ‘Bad Law’, feel good and bouncy from the melody, though with lyrics that belie something different.

“Some nights I remember all the verses… some nights only one…so let’s see” Lerche said, beginning the encore, solo and acapella with ‘Human Hands’.

Final song, ‘Private Caller’ morphed from its standard indie guitar folk sound at the four-minute mark, into a bass heavy club version (think Daft Punk, Darren Emerson, or Tiesto) that had Lerche jumping about the crowd in all corners of the room, and the audience pogo-ing along with him for a very extended thirteen-minute dance mix.

Sweaty, out of breath, exhausted but smiling, pleasure was in fact achieved, both by Sondre Lerche and band, and the appreciative, interactive audience as well.

Monday, 24 April 2017

Having spent many times stopping in Minneapolis at smaller venues, like the 7th Street Entry, Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert was amazed at the massive crowd for Rock the Garden, that he said, "This is a big deal!"
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Los Angeles’ Silversun Pickups will be headlining First Avenue tomorrow.

We recently caught Silversun Pickups in May 2016 with Foals, and wrote, “This alternative rock band from Los Angeles has been around for a while and seem to finally be getting the recognition they deserve. They released Better Nature last year and played a lot of songs off of that but did not forget about their three previous releases.”

Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche (currently based in New York City) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry tomorrow (April 25th), touring in support of his eighth studio album Pleasure (PLZ label).
The new record is the followup to Lerche’s “divorce” album from Mona Fastwold.

We previously caught Lerche in New York in 2014 and wrote, “The crowd seemed to be quite enthusiastic, which Lerche most definitely fed off of and gave the audience several opportunities to sing along. Combining both older songs like “Sleep on Needles,” and “Two Way Monologue” with new songs from the just-released album like “Bad Law”
and “Legends”, the crowd got to revel in the oldies and enjoy the experiencing the new material live.”

Brooklyn's Beacon was a big buzz last night, having talked to a few fans that came out just to see them last night. This beats duo (Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett) just recently signed to Ghostly International
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Other shows in the area:

04/26/17
Hari Kondabolu and Raghav Mehta will be playing the Cedar Cultural Center.
$20.

04/26/17
Rookie Of The Year and City Under Siege will be at Triple Rock Social Club.
$12.

04/27/17
The Suburbs’ sold-out show at the Turf Club is this Thursday.
$30/Sold Out.

04/27/17
Tycho returns to Minnesota, over at the new Palace Theatre. New York electro duo Beacon will be opening up the show. Both Beacon and Tycho came to town in 2015 and we noted, “Opening up the show was Beacon, a duo (Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett) from Brooklyn, New York, playing some tracks from L1 EP (Ghostly International) to near darkness with a custom film, projected onto the band. We've seen the electronic duo before, last December 2012, and I wrote that they had "big buzz." While at the time, I said they were 'thunderous rap bass', they seem to have taken it down a notch to more minimalistic and atmospheric.... at least based on hearing them perform on Sunday.”
$29.50.

04/28/17
Bishop Briggs is headlining Fine Line Music Café. The show is sold out.
Sold Out.

04/28/17
The Florists’ EP release show is at Triple Rock Social Club.
$5.

04/28/17
The xx has a sold out show at the new Palace Theatre in St Paul. The trio’s third album I See You debut at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US album charts.
The last time we saw the xx, it was in 2012 and we said, “The xx show was a little somber, with flashing lights at the appropriate beats. I was expecting more dancing from the audience, but for the most part, they kept very still. Which is cool, as someone pointed out that it was nice to see people actually listening and watching the show on stage.”
Sampha to open.
$49.50.

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Beats Antique is currently in the middle of their "A Thousand Faces" tour, stopping by, on Halloween night, at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis. The show was incredible, thanks to the sold out status ....

Here are shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul on October 17, 2014.

When I saw Beats Antique on Halloween last year, it was literally one of the best shows I've ever seen. Part of it was because the audience was really into it (nearly 99% of them dressed up) and also because of their impression light and stage show. The stage was custom built by Obscura Digital, using funding from their Kickstarter campaign. I hope they take that programming with them for this new, current tour called "Creature Carnival".

If you've ever seen the film Once, chances are you fell in love with Frames singer Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. After the film, the two became a couple and became The Swell Season ... but ultimately the two broke up. While Hansard recently came through town, it is now Irglova's turn.

The Icelandic singer's new album MUNA is out now and available in all popular formats, including digital, CD, and a recent vinyl pressing.

Rosi Golan: Fortuna

Irglova will be stopping by Minneapolis this Friday, along with Israeli songstress Rosi Golan. Golan will likely play some tracks off her 2008 debut The Drifter and the Gypsy, as well as her recent EP Fortuna, which came out last year on Gypsy Betch.

The Rural Alberta Advantage is tamer. Their audience is a little older (beards, button shirts, beer-drinkers) and I was impressed at how many people knew the RAA songs ....

RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE with July Talk
at First Avenue
Friday 10/17/14, 8pm$20: first-avenue.com

The last time we saw The Rural Alberta Advantage, it was at a very, very sold out show at the tiny 7th Street Entry. This time around, the band will be playing at a much bigger capacity venue - First Avenue's mainroom.

Canadian indie folk outfit is out on tour in support of their latest album Mended With Gold... and for this tour, it's written that it will be more intimate with a mixture of new material and old favorites.

Opening up the show will be July Talk, an alt-blues rock group with a new debut US EP called Guns + Ammunition, out now on Island Records.

Into It. Over It. is proud to premiere the music video for "The Shaking Of Leaves". The John Komar (Compositing) and Reza Iman (Art and Animation) directed video ....

INTO IT. OVER IT. with Tancred, various
at Triple Rock Social Club
Friday 10/17/14, 8pm$12 / $14 (Door): triplerocksocialclub.com

Indie rock Into It. Over It. (the stagename for Chicago musician Evan Thomas Weiss) is on tour around the area... biding his time so he can head out on tour with his friend Lemuria in November and December.

Normally the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis book three bands... but not this Friday. There are four bands on the bill: Into It. Over It., Tancred,
And We Danced, and Self-Evident.

Brooklyn-based TEEN followed Jenkins. The indie rock band formed in 2012 is composed of lead Kristina "Teeny" Lieberson, her two sisters Lizzy and Katherine, and friend Jane …

Sondre Lerche kicked off his tour Tuesday night at the Bowery Ballroom promoting his new album, Please, released the same day. Playing to a full house of devoted fans, Lerche “was feeling it, friends,” according to a Facebook post the next day.

TEEN

Opening for Lerche was Brooklyn-based band, TEEN. With their electronic, alternative rock music, the harmonies from all four members blended in smoothly and strongly. Their semi-repetitious sequences in each song give off a slight trance-like vibe. Though it seemed like most of the audience came to see Lerche, TEEN definitely was able to hold the majority of the crowd’s attention.

Sondre Lerche

The last time I saw Sondre Lerche was in 2009 and he was solo. This tour, he is joined by drummer David Heilman and bassist Chris Holm, though occasionally going solo for songs like “My Hands Are Shaking.” Joining for a few songs were members of TEEN and violinist Tim Fain, or as Lerche calls him, “T-Fain,” better than T-Pain.

The crowd seemed to be quite enthusiastic, which Lerche most definitely fed off of and gave the audience several opportunities to sing along. Combining both older songs like “Sleep on Needles,” and “Two Way Monologue” with new songs from the just-released album like “Bad Law” (music video) and “Legends” (music video), the crowd got to revel in the oldies and enjoy the experiencing the new material live.

Aside from the great musicianship, Lerche’s banter on stage kept the crowd entertained. After telling the audience how great they were, he side noted with “I’m not trying to seduce you,” but later on, somehow managed to unbutton his shirt (though quickly rebuttoned it). His genuine excitement for his new album and to be on tour again was palpable and contagious.

Buy the full 9-concert Liquid Music series for just $151.00 or mix and match four or more concerts to create your own customized series starting at just $40. All series subscribers receive 2 free ticket vouchers for best available seats to a regular SPCO concert (up to an $80 value). To order call the SPCO Ticket Office at 651.291.1144 or thespco.org.

Last winter I saw Sondre Lerche at an outdoor flea market in Brooklyn, and we were both wearing those dorky yet ridiculously warm fleece-lined hats with ear flaps. He came off looking like a charming …

This free concert is financed in part by the City of Saint Paul Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization Program ... so you're actually paying for it. So you might as well head out to see them …

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music series is in its second season. The program was designed to expand the world of classical music through unique presentation formats. In additional, Liquid Music's shows are accessible to non-traditional classical fans with its affordable prices and often collaborating with some exciting and different musicians not typical of this genre.
Last night's Jherek Bischoff show at the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul (co-presented with the Walker Art Center, in collaboration with American Swedish Institute and Minnesota Public Radio), accomplished all of Liquid Music's goals.

"I'm a very thankful man," Bischoff said as he kept thanking everyone involved in this massive music undertaking. The program, from what I understood hearing the stories on stage, was that this started over a year ago. Liquid Music gave Bischoff the freedom to assemble his super dream team to perform music with his musical arrangements. Imagine if you were given this gift, you wouldn't ever want to leave the stage either.

The well-organized program started with an introduction by the Current's Steve Seel and MPR's Valerie Kahler. To me, pairing up the two was like old vs new; Seel thought it was okay to 'tweet' while Kahler kindly disagreed.

After the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) seated, Jherek Bischoff came on stage in a suit and golden shoes. You can tell right away that Bischoff was not used to this special treatment, having confessed that his years of playing at typical dive bar and venues did not prepare him for this. We last saw Bischoff opening up for Amanda Palmer last year, and even then, he was strangely happy to be on stage to perform chamber music for rock/pop fans.

The set was divided in two parts: the first were all Bischoff's work, with the exception of Konono No. 1's "Kule" and Bob Lind's "Counting". Duets on the recorded Bischoff's albums were sung by the three special vocalists: Sondre Lerche on "Blossom", Channy Leaneagh on "Counting", and Ólöf Arnalds on "The Nest". As pointed out by Arnalds, drummer Greg Saunier, from Deerhoof, was the odd-man out, having usually taken a backseat to the three vocalists. However, he was always part of the show with well-timed drum rimshots.

Just to give you a little background, we have, at one point or another, covered each of these hand-picked artists. Sondre Lerche is a Norwegian singer/songwriter who is always experimenting with his sound, in particular his Heartbeat Radio album. Ólöf Arnalds, cousin to classical composer Ólafur Arnalds, is from Iceland. Channy Leaneagh, as you know, is from the popular Poliça band, with their second album Shulamith coming out this week, Octotber 22nd, on Mom+Pop. I saw Greg Saunier's band Deerhoof a few years ago and I was blown away at their ability to experiment and improv their live songs.

Highlight of Bischoff's set was a story about how he used to be a sailor and one time his boat was caught in the windstorm and they could not move for three days. He was maybe a mile from shore after seeing one tiny light in the distance. So on the last night, after thinking he was going to die, he looked in his binoculars to see that the light was, in fact, a television set… and the person living there was simply watching "Seinfeld"!

The second half of the program, after the intermission, were songs by the vocalists, but re-imagined and re-arranged by Bischoff. They often work, because as they say, a good song can be set to any tone and genre. In particular, Arnolds' song "Surrender" was set to a "disco" beat.

If Bischoff's various introductions of his guests didn't give it away, watching their interaction on stage and his wide smile, he was definitely a fan and an admirer.
He even started slow dancing with Lerche during his performance fo "Sleep on Needles", a song that Lerche wrote fourteen years ago.

A special surprise was Sondre Lerche unveiled his new song, "Bleeding Out Into the Blue". It has not been recorded, and Lerche suggested that it may be on his next album. Bischoff, right away, said that the words 'bleeding out' made him quiver, which got a bit of a laugh.

Jherek Bischoff ended the show with one of the most complex song he's ever written, "Cistern". It did not require Bischoff to play an instrument, but instead as acting conductor. The song seem to take into account space and sound, and at one point you can hear bells from the back of the room.

As all the artists on stage mentioned at some point, the Liquid Music program for this year is amazing. You can get a season pass to all the shows at a discount $151, but can also mix and match if you are only interested in a few shows. The next show is contemporary chamber music group Ensemble dal Niente on November 5th.

Despite the thunderous applause that followed each of his songs, Sondre Lerche was still visibly nervous at Mercury Lounge last night. He fumbled along while tuning his guitar and awkwardly asked the soundguy for help. Though he’s been playing in front of crowds since the tender age of fourteen, Lerche was on edge that night since he was debuting a handful of new songs and opening for his close friend, JBM. His anxiousness, however, seemed uncalled for. He opened the set with the new track, “Red Flags,” and despite the somber melody, the audience ate it up. He looked quite relieved by the feedback, and this seemed to jolt him back into his more confident, upbeat stage persona. He then brought out a violinist named Kay for two songs: “Heartbeat Radio” and “Good Luck.” The strings added a strangely psychedelic feel to the former song, while it lent a playful orchestral edge to the latter. Since most of Lerche’s shows feature just him and his guitar, the violin provided a nice texture to his guitar-heavy music.For the next new song (“Dear Laughing Doubters”), Lerche exerted much more confidence. He explained that he had been commissioned to write it for the upcoming Steve Carell comedy, Dinner for Schmucks, “in theaters this Friday!” he added in his best Moviefone voice. Again, it was sweet and somber, and the audience swooned in unison. He ended the night with another new song, “Domino,” and by then, he didn’t seem hesitant at all to showcase his talents. It acted as a nice segue into JBM’s set, which was fleshed out with a full band but still on the intimate side. Since his debut album, Not Even in July, was just released, he’s still working out the kinks with his touring band, but he has an undeniable confidence with his own work. As he effortlessly switched between a number of instruments, it was obvious how he could make a seasoned professional like Sondre Lerche a wee bit insecure.

Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Lerche was weaned on the 80s pop that emanated from his...

Sondre Lerche – Heartbeat Radio

Last winter I saw Sondre Lerche at an outdoor flea market in Brooklyn, and we were both wearing those dorky yet ridiculously warm fleece-lined hats with ear flaps. He came off looking like a charming, appropriately attired urbanite, whereas I resembled a lost Himalayan Sherpa. Instant inferiority complex.

The keyword of that seemingly pointless anecdote is “charm” – the backbone of Lerche’s fifth album, Heartbeat Radio. As with his taste in hats, he manages to get away with a certain amount of corniness due to sheer charm and enthusiasm. Heartbeat Radio is a sweeping, often times beautiful, work of orchestral pop and a definite mark of Lerche’s growth as a musician. It’s just as appealing as his debut LP, Faces Down, but with an added sophistication and a keener attention to detail. Despite occasional forays into kitsch (check out the ode to one-time mechanic, one-time James Bond actor, George Lazenby, “Just Like Lazenby”), his intentions are true, and he’s bound to win you over.

Unlike his past two albums, Lerche does not attach a specific label to this one. Phantom Punch was his “rock” album, and Duper Sessions was his “jazz” album, but Heartbeat Radio benefits greatly from its lack of categorization. Lerche seems to enjoy the freedom on tracks like “Easy to Persuade,” where he blends guitars, synths, and even a sax to create a sound that eludes any easy classification. Without seeming schizophrenic, the songs on the album jump from genre to genre but all bear the mark of Lerche’s meticulous arrangements and infectious choruses.

Within such a broad spectrum of sounds, Lerche is able to strike a smooth balance between his orchestral grandeur and sincere, often amusing songwriting. On the wry track, “I Guess It’s Gonna Rain Today,” he pokes fun at himself for coming off as a “tired cliché.” It’s that sense of self-awareness and humor that allows me to forgive him –and inwardly swoon over—a song like “Words & Music.” With lyrics worthy of the best 1950’s musical, it wins the title for Lerche’s Cheesiest (and Sweetest) Song, a title previously held by “My Hands Are Shaking” off of the Dan in Real Life OST.

Lerche’s knack for romantic verse is not always sickeningly sweet though. On the buoyant single, “Heartbeat Radio,” things starts off typically with an unassuming acoustic guitar before blooming into a sweeping ode to unrequited love and second guessing. As he croons about “drowning in a sea of reverb” and “sad honkytonk,” the droll lyrics make way for the heartbreakingly delivered line: “my poor heart still beats for you.” All future boyfriends: please take note.

For all its romantic fanfare, Heartbeat Radio is still grounded in a slightly more mature, restrained sound. The two tracks that bookend the album, “Good Luck” and “Good Night,” are infused with all the right bells and whistles, but there’s still that sense of cynical, sometimes campy charm. On anyone else, it would come off as maudlin or overdone, but on Lerche it’s a natural fit.

Thursday, 10 May 2007

According to Holidays on the Net, today is Fred Astaire's birthday. So, I thought I'd post a song he's made popular that many musicians have covered.

"Night and Day" was written by Cole Porter and is part of the Great American Songbook. It was written for the 1932 play Gay Divorce and was featured in the 1934 film adaptation, The Gay Divorcee. Fred Astaire sung it in both the play and the film. In 1946, a movie called Night and Day was made starring Cary Grant as Cole Porter and Alexis Smith as Linda Lee Porter. It's about "the fictionalized biography of composer Cole Porter from his days at Yale in the 1910s through the height of his success to the 1940s." More information about the song can be obtained from the Wikipedia entry.

Now, for the goodies... below is an overload of the various covers of the song including Fred Astaire's and Cole Porter's versions. If you can believe it, there are even more! Sorry for the odd alignment, but I can't seem to get everything aligned the way I intended. Vu came to the rescue.